The present invention relates to a distributed electric power demand control system and, more particularly, to a system which comprises a plurality of processors in which each processor is responsible for shedding the electrical loads controlled by it and in which the processors communicate with one another so that the shedding of electrical loads can be coordinated between the plurality of processors.
Electric power companies have established various rates they charge for the consumption of power by their customers. For example, power companies may charge more during those hours of the day in which there is normally heavy usage of power than they do during off-peak hours, and may also levy a surcharge against individual non-residential users based on the user's highest demand during an entire billing period (typically each month). Demand is the average power (e.g., watts) over a demand interval, typically 15 minutes long. As a result, load add/shed systems have been devised in order to maintain demand below user established limits to thus avoid extra costs attributed to excessive electric power demand.
Heretofore, these add/shed systems have been concentrated in a single facility such that if the facility becomes nonfunctional, the add/shed system becomes nonfunctional and electric power demand may rise above a previously established demand limit.